Dark Paradise
by Screaming Faeries
Summary: A series of Barty/Regulus drabbles and oneshots, unrelated. Mature themes, warnings within. Latest: "Kids in the Eye of the Storm"
1. Junkie Pride

**Word Count:** 645  
 **Warnings:** Drug abuse, mild profanity

 **Written For:  
** \- September Event, prompt: (dialogue) "Back to school already? Where did summer go?"  
\- Ship Name Competition, Week Four: Barty/Regulus

* * *

 **Junkie Pride**

 _I know I wanted all this in the beginning, I really tried. I know I caught you at a not so happy time of your life._

Regulus braced himself as he waited outside the door of Barty's apartment. This was it. The make or break; the do or die. What he would find behind the door would ultimately decide whether or not he would continue his difficult relationship with Barty.

He had arrived unexpectedly. Barty thought that Regulus was spending Sunday evening at home with his parents having a family meal, but Regulus had skipped out on that. This was more important.

Taking a deep breath, he slid his key into the lock and pushed open the door, bursting into the small living room.

The first thing he became aware of was how dark it was. Even though it was only six p.m and still light outside, Barty had chosen to close the thick curtains, blocking out any trace of sunlight. Regulus could see dust in the small streams of light which filtered from the crack in the door to the kitchen.

A narrow crack of light fell on a figure on the sofa; a skinny male figure in a grubby wife-beater, with his dark blond, straw-like hair sticking up awkwardly, as though he'd been raking his fingers through it roughly. He had what looked like his school tie fastened tightly around his upper left arm, and in his right hand he clutched a syringe, the needle pointed to a point on his inner arm, and his finger poised on the plunger.

Regulus whipped his wand from his sleeve and flicked it wordlessly in Barty's direction. The paraphernalia jerked out of his hand automatically and soared into the air. _"Incendio_ ," he hissed, and the syringe burst into flames, the ashes trickling silently onto the grubby carpet.

Barty remained silent, staring wide-eyed at Regulus. He looked emotionless, his pale skin almost translucent in the dim, murky light. Regulus stared at him for what seemed like hours, waiting for him to say something, anything—deny it, apologise—he didn't care. He just needed to hear him speak.

"I'm sorry," Barty finally whispered, his voice hoarse.

"You're _sorry?_ " Regulus almost shrieked, his words cutting through the tense air like a knife. "I thought we were through all of this? I thought you were done! You were supposed to be clean! You took three months out of your sixth year to be rehabilitated, and now you're doing it again? We're going back for our seventh year in _two weeks!"_

Barty slowly unfastened the makeshift tourniquet from his arm, eyeing the silver and green tie guiltily. He struggled to make eye contact with Regulus, choosing instead to lean forward on his knees, burying his face in his hands. "Back to school already? Where did summer go?" he whispered, his voice so quiet that Regulus barely heard him.

"You've spent it here in this shit-hole, shooting up," he hissed. "I'm done. Do you hear me? _Done_. I don't need this...I'm sick of waiting for you..."

"No," Barty suddenly sounded strangled, jerking his face up to look at Regulus. He suddenly was full of emotion, his chestnut eyes watering heavily and his bottom lip shuddering. "Please. Regulus, I'm _sorry._ It was just a relapse...I don't need it. It was just a one off, I swear."

"It's always just a one-off," Regulus replied. He felt a lump rising in his throat and the backs of his eyeballs prickled uncomfortably. He wouldn't cry in front of Barty - if he showed weakness, Barty would easily manipulate him, and he would be giving him another chance before he knew it. "No. I'm done." He turned on his heel and headed towards the door.

Just before he reached the exit, he shot Barty one final glare. "Get clean. Maybe we'll try again."


	2. The Goodbye Bed

**Word Count:** 384  
 **Written For:  
** \- Gringotts Prompt Bank: (quote) "But in the goodbye bed, with my arms around your neck. Into our mouths the tears crept, just kids in the eye of the storm." - _Daniel, Bat for Lashes,_ (dialogue) "They will ignore you until they need you."  
\- D&D (BEANS story submission)

* * *

 **The Goodbye Bed**

 _But in the goodbye bed, with my arms around your neck.  
Into our mouths the tears crept, just kids in the eye of the storm._

oOo

"I don't want you to go."

Barty's whisper was rasping, hoarse from hours of crying. It was dark, but in the dim shadows he could see Regulus lying across from him, his long fringe hanging into his eyes.

"I have to," he murmured back. He turned onto his side so that he was facing Barty, and reached up to cup his face in his hands. "I have to, Barty."

"No you _don't_. It doesn't have to be you!" Barty whined, gripping Regulus's upper arms. "You don't have to put it on yourself. Just forget about the...about the _horcrux_. Someone else will destroy it..." his voice tailed off, and Regulus dipped his head towards Barty's. He pressed his lips firmly against his, preventing any more words from slipping out.

Barty melted into Regulus, kissing him back softly. He wrapped his arms around Regulus's narrow torso, and relished in the sensation of his long fingers threading through his dark blond hair. He knew that Regulus was putting on a brave face; trying to act strong in front of Barty and anyone else who paid attention, but Barty knew better. He could taste the saltiness of his tears slipping into their kiss.

When they separated, they were breathless. Barty could see Regulus's dark eyes glittering wetly through the dark, and the sight caused his throat to burn uncomfortably.

"What will I do without you?" Barty whispered, biting his lip. "The others - they don't need me. I only want to be with you."

"They'll ignore you until they need you," Regulus replied, and he pulled Barty's head down so he could press a kiss to his forehead. "But they will need you."

A fresh wave of tears rose to Barty's eyes, and he buried his face into Regulus's neck to let them pour silently.

He was never going to survive without Regulus.


	3. Death By Cute

**Word Count:** 520  
 **Written for:  
** The Daily Weird Prompt Thing: Halloween Special - prompt: (word) Scythe  
Potions Class: Ageing Potion - Write about someone being immature  
Gringotts Wizarding Prompt Bank: (OUAT Quotes) "Put that thing down before you hurt yourself." - Regina, (OITNB Quotes) "Do you hear yourself sometimes? Like, when you speak?", (OITNB Quotes) "But I'm so cute. Look how cute I am!", (friend word) Boyfriend, (friend word) Best Friend  
September Event, Prompt: (location) Classroom

 **Death By Cute**

 _You're a fool, but you're cool  
And I know that you'll do whatever you want._

Barty yawned loudly, the noise echoing around the empty classroom. He was sitting on top of a desk in the old History of Magic classroom, waiting for his boyfriend and best friend, Regulus.

And he was taking his sweet time.

"Come on," he muttered, looking at the silver watch on his wrist. They were already late for the party that Snape, Avery and Mulciber were hosting in the dungeons for the sixth and seventh years, in honour of Halloween. It was strictly fancy dress, much to Barty's dismay. He caught sight of his reflection in the dark window opposite the table he sat atop.

If he could've had his own way, he wouldn't have dressed up at all, but after Regulus had spent a good half an hour complaining and pouting, he finally gave in. His face had been powdered sheet-white, and he was wearing a plastic set of fangs which dug uncomfortably into his gums. He had splodged red paint messily around his lips to mimic blood, and was wearing his grubbiest pair of robes. Barty had to admit—he did make a pretty good vampire.

Regulus hadn't told him what he would be dressing up as for the party. Barty knew that Regulus had been planning his costume for weeks, but he was doing a good job of keeping it a secret from Barty.

He sat up straight as he heard footsteps along the corridor, and pasted a look of surprise on his face, ready for whatever Regulus had to offer.

However, the expression soon became real, when he noticed just what Regulus was dressed as.

Standing in the doorway was a figure shrouded head-to-toe in a ripped black robe. If it wasn't for the distinct lack of iciness to the air, Barty would've thought it was a Dementor. In fact, he would've thought that Regulus was dressed up as a Dementor—if it wasn't for the enormous, red-tipped scythe that he was wielding.

He pulled his hood down and grinned widely at Barty. "What do you think?"

Barty blinked, allowing his gaze to rest on the weapon in Regulus's hand. "Where on earth did you—put that thing down before you hurt yourself!"

"Oh, relax," Regulus chuckled. He pressed the scythe's blade to the floor, and Barty watched as it bent like rubber against the floor. "It's not real! As if I'd be allowed to bring something like this into the school! I got it from Zonko's."

"It's a bit dramatic, don't you think?"

Regulus's dark eyes widened, and true to form, he pouted. "But I'm so cute!" he stretched his arms out and span slowly on the spot, so that Barty could admire his entire outfit. "Look how cute I am!"

Barty laughed, unable to keep a straight face. "Do you hear yourself sometimes? Like, when you speak?"

Regulus sniggered and walked over to where Barty sat, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips. "Come on, we're late," he murmured, grinning into his boyfriends mouth. "I'm ready to party."


	4. Bruises & Bitemarks

**Word Count:** 391

 **Written For:  
** \- September Event, prompt: (object) Dormitory

* * *

 **Bruises & Bitemarks**

 _If time stood still I'd take this moment, make it last forever._

After Slytherin had won the Quidditch Cup, the party in the common room went on for hours. So long in fact, that Seeker Regulus Black almost forgot about his best friend. _Almost._

He slipped out of the party when Beaters Avery and Mulciber had finally stopped throwing him in the air, and hurried to the sixth year boys dormitory. He was pretty sure that Barty would be in here—he hadn't been in the stands during the Quidditch match, and he was pretty sure that even _Barty_ wouldn't spend a Saturday evening in the library.

As soon as he reached the dormitory, he heard it. The quiet sound of sobbing, muffled by a blanket. When the door to the dormitory creaked upon Regulus's entry, the sobbing abruptly stopped, but Regulus had already heard it.

"Barty?" he called into the empty dormitory.

"Go away," came the thick reply. Regulus ignored the command and headed into the dorm, bypassing his own bed until he came to Barty's which had the curtains drawn around it tightly. He seemed to sense Regulus's presence. "I said, go away!"

"What's the matter with you?" Regulus peered through the curtain and observed the figure that was hunched up in the duvet, curled up in a foetal position. Barty threw the covers back angrily and glared up at Regulus.

"What did I just say?" he hissed, his dark brown eyes glittering angrily.

Regulus blinked down at Barty. There was something marring his usually peaky complexion. A dark purple bruise, just below his left eye. "What happened?"

"It doesn't matter." Barty made to pull the duvet back over his head, but Regulus grabbed hold of it. He ducked behind the curtain and slipped into the single bed with his friend, pulling the covers over both of their heads.

"Did someone hit you?"

Barty was silent, but Regulus saw him nodding in the dark.

"Who was it?"

"Avery."

Now it was Regulus's turn to be silent. He knew all too well what Avery was like, and he would've had little reason for punching Barty. "Come here," muttered Regulus, extending his arm so that Barty could scoot in for a cuddle.

Regulus wasn't much of a fighter, but he vowed to make Avery pay for hurting Barty.


	5. Precious Hurricane

**Word Count:** 821

 **Written For:  
** \- Teachers Triwizard Tournament, prompts used: (pairing) Barty/Regulus, (restriction) No word said, (quote) Why would I be jealous? Though, I do know you're partial to men in leather jackets.", (AU) Psychological!AU, (quote) "You are a hurricane… remember to breathe every once in a while, do not drown within your own storm."  
\- Gringotts Prompt Bank - Friends Prompts: (Action) Putting together new furniture, (Object) Leather Jacket, (Dialogue) "Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You're gonna love it."

* * *

 **Precious Hurricane**

 _You were my knight and shining companion, to my surprise my loves demise was his own greed and lullaby._

"There is no need to be _jealous_ of my Mind Healer, Regulus," Barty chuckled as Regulus led him across the second floor of a block of apartments.

"I'm not jealous! Why would I be jealous?" exclaimed Regulus, though he did sound extremely jealous. "Though, I do know you're partial to men in leather jackets," he sniggered, plucking the lapel of his own leather coat as he spoke.

Barty rolled his eyes, but he was smirking. "Idiot," he joked.

"...And we're home!" Regulus announced as he jostled a large brassy key into an equally distressed looking lock, and pushed the door open, gesturing into a dark hallway. "Welcome back to the real world. It sucks! You're going to love it."

Barty tentatively walked forward, inhaling the smell of fresh paint as he did so. Regulus flourished his wand silently behind him, and several balls of light swooped to ignite various candles that adorned shelving around the hallway. He was gripping a large suitcase tightly, and he flinched as Regulus gently eased him along.

"Keep going into the living room," he coaxed Barty, and Barty began to head further into the apartment. "I spent all day yesterday painting the living room, and the day before I did the bedroom. Your favourite colour, of course."

When the pair reached the living room, which was just off the end of the hallway, Barty dropped his suitcase and had a look around. It was a shoddy little room, with only a single small window overlooking the alleyway and the wheelie bins outside, shrouded with dark, dusty curtains. A moth-eaten old couch sat in the centre of the room, but there was little else in there. Conjoined to the living room was a tiny kitchen, which was essentially spread across one wall of the living room.

"In the first door off the hallway is our bedroom," Regulus started, gesturing back into the hallway that they had just left. "And the bathroom is just off the bedroom. It's not much..." he paused, taking a quick glance around the living room. "But I suppose it's home."

Barty blinked at Regulus, feeling an overwhelming surge of emotion for his boyfriend. "You...you moved out of home for me?" Barty knew that Regulus lived in a large, lavish house previously, and his family's wealth meant that he very rarely wanted for anything. He couldn't imagine why Regulus would ever want to give up all of that to live in a tiny, run-down apartment in the south of London.

Regulus smiled and took a step towards Barty, pressing his hands to his cheeks. "I would do _anything_ for you," he promised, before placing a gentle kiss on Barty's mouth.

They had just come out of the other side of a difficult few months. It started off with Regulus coming out to his parents and announcing that he was dating Barty Crouch Junior. Walburga and Orion Black were mortified, having already made plans to have Regulus married off to a cousin-in-law of Bellatrix. They had promised Regulus that he would be nothing short of disowned if he didn't buck his ideas up and put aside his sexuality for the sake of his bloodline.

Regulus had no plans to abandon Barty, but he had to forget all about his own worries when Barty suffered a psychotic break and was admitted to a psychiatric ward at St. Mungo's, where he resided for four months before being finally released. Walburga, who adored Regulus, had given her son this much time to decide what he wanted.

Of course, Regulus wanted nothing but to be there for Barty. Barty was like his own personal hurricane, and all Regulus wanted to do was make sure he didn't drown within his own storm. So Walburga had promptly disowned him, breaking her heart in the process, and Regulus had taken what little gold he had to buy an apartment that he and Barty could live in.

"You're too good for me," Barty croaked in a cracked voice, and Regulus felt his stomach constrict as tears rose in his eyes.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Regulus dragged Barty down onto the couch and threaded their fingers together. "Don't you like it? I know it's a bit...a bit shabby, but we can do it up pretty quickly. It'll be fun. Like our own little project—" Regulus was cut off as Barty crashed his mouth into Regulus's, enveloping his unspoken words in a kiss. When he pulled away, keeping their foreheads pressed together, the tears were spilling down Barty's face.

"I love it, you idiot," he mumbled. "What's left to do?"

Regulus pointed at a large cardboard box and silently summoned it towards them. "Coffee table. Let's put it up now?"

Barty grinned, wiping his tears away with his sleeve. "Sure."


	6. Devil Girl

**Word Count:** 269

 **Written For:**

\- Speed Drabble, prompts:(word) treacherous, (word) devil, (dialogue) "I can't believe this"  
\- Gringotts Prompt Bank, Scenario prompts: couple at party separately, someone flirting with one half of relationship.

* * *

 **Devil Girl**

 _As I move my feet towards your body, I can hear this beat it fills my head up and gets louder and louder._

Barty weaved his way through the crowd of dancing people, squinting in the flashing lights. It had been a ridiculous idea for he and Regulus to attend the Lestrange brothers' birthday party separately. Regulus knew how much Barty hated crowds, even more so when they were crammed into small spaces.

The room pulsated with energy, and the music was so loud that he knew it would be pointless to try shouting for his boyfriend through the music. Eventually, the lights overhead emitted a pale glow, and he spotted Regulus's familiar shiny dark head. He began to hurry over, until something stopped him in his tracks.

There was a girl standing in front of Regulus, with cropped blonde hair and a ring in her tongue—he could see the light flashing off it whenever she spoke. She wore a crop top and leaned towards Regulus, looking up at him through hooded eyes. She was _flirting_ with him.

"I can't believe this," Barty muttered, though he didn't hear his words through the pumping music. He stormed over to Regulus, ready to put a stop to the treacherous act.

As soon as he reached his boyfriend, Regulus looked relieved. He opened his mouth to say something to Barty, but Barty didn't wait to try and hear what he had to say. Instead, he crashed his lips into Regulus's, glaring at the devil-girl over his shoulder.

He smirked into Regulus's mouth as she quickly vanished from the scene.


	7. Hungover

**Word Count:** 101

 **Written For:  
** \- Speed Drabble: "You're hurting me!", "It was a simple request.", emotional

* * *

 **Hungover**

 _But in the bright light, I can taste you on my tongue._

Regulus opened his eyes slowly, groaning as the bright sunlight streaming through his eyelids seemed to cause an instantaneous headache. He rolled his head back against the uncomfortable surface, realising quickly that he was leaning against the wall.

The sound of soft snoring filled his ears, and he blinked groggily to the left of where he was sitting. His best friend, Barty, was sitting beside him, resting his head on Regulus' shoulder. "Wake up," grumbled Regulus: he hated anyone else being pleasantly asleep while he had to be awake.

"...Ngh," muttered Barty irritably, nestling closer into Regulus. Rolling his eyes, Regulus jerked his shoulder, causing Barty's head to lurch downwards. "You're hurting me!" he snapped, rearing up to glare tiredly at Regulus.

"Well, it was a simple request," Regulus replied shortly, rubbing his aching temples.

Barty's deep brown gaze glowered at Regulus, and he climbed to his feet steadily. Regulus resisted the urge to roll his eyes—the last thing he needed was a hangover, _plus_ Barty acting emotional.


	8. His Dark Embrace

**Word Count:** 228

 **Written For:  
** \- Speed Drabble: "I don't know if I can do this anymore", "I know more about pain than anything else", darkness

* * *

 **His Dark Embrace**

 _I've been a fool and I've been blind, I can never leave the past behind._

Regulus edged into the bedroom quietly, from where he could hear Barty's gentle sobs. He bit into the flesh of his bottom lip, feeling slightly nervous. It was always uncomfortable finding his boyfriend in the awful state he knew was awaiting him.

"Barty," he whispered into the darkness, squinting. He could just make out Barty's silhouette, hunched over on the bed, his shoulders shuddering as he sobbed. Regulus closed the door behind him carefully, and trod over to the bed. He sat down beside Barty, slowly wrapping his arm around the sandy-haired boy. Barty initially froze; his body going rigid, but as Regulus rubbed his arms as though he was thawing him out, he eventually melted into his embrace. "Tell me."

"I don't know if I can do this anymore," Barty spoke, his voice hoarse with tears. "It hurts too much."

Regulus sighed, pressing his lips to Barty's temple. Since they had left Hogwarts and become acquainted with the Dark Lord, Barty was taking it a lot harder than Regulus did. He struggled to accept the way that his life had panned out. "You know you can always talk to me, Barty," Regulus told him. "I know more about pain than anyone else."

Barty nestled his head into Regulus's neck, sighing. "I know."


	9. Flower in the Attic

**Word Count:** 920

 **Written For:  
** \- Fairytales Class: Write about a minor character (less than 3000 stories written for them on the site) Prompts used: [Dialogue] "It's... you.", [Emotion] Worthlessness  
\- Fairytales Extra Credit: Include a fat mouse called Gus Gus and a cat called Lucifer.  
\- Gringotts Prompt Bank/Charmed: (Action) People moving closer to one another in a photo, (Location) Attic

* * *

 **Flower in the Attic**

 _No one even knows how hard life was, I don't even think about it now because I've finally found you._

Barty sighed from his position on the floor in the attic. The sun was setting; he could see the last few rays of sunlight vanishing over the horizon through his small, circular window.

He didn't live up in the attic by choice. It was the part of the house where his father chose to keep him, after he was smuggled out of Azkaban in place of his dying mother. Mr Crouch could no longer bear the sight of Barty, and when he wasn't trapped under an invisibility cloak, he was condemned up to his attic, with the door locked and the key hidden in the pocket of Mr Crouch's robes.

Winky was supposed to completely ignore Barty while he was locked in the attic, but she risked her position as his House Elf to sneak up and give him sweets, small mementos that might cheer him up a little. It was almost as if Barty had brought a Dementor back from Azkaban with him—the dreadful feeling of worthlessness seemed to radiate from his body and spread around the entire house. Barty often wondered if this was another reason that Mr Crouch chose to keep him locked up in the attic.

Barty picked up a filthy old picture frame, something that had been tossed in the attic long before Barty had returned from Azkaban. It was a picture of a time that Barty almost couldn't remember—himself as a child, with his smiling, wispy-haired mother on one side, and his moustachioed father on the left, sporting much less silver streaks in his hair than he did nowadays. Even though Mr Crouch's smile didn't quite meet his eyes; as though there were another deep thought in his mind that needed his attention, Barty could tell that he was happier, here. They all were.

He resisted the urge to shatter the frame against the wall as the three people bunched together closer in the photo. Instead, he set it down on the floor quietly, and shoved it under his rickety, metal-framed bed, hoping he could forget about it.

Before he could jump in his bed and pull the covers over his head, a familiar squeaking sound interrupted him. He looked over to the now-dark window, where a brown, fat little mouse was perched on the window, squeaking manically at him.

"What's the matter with you, Gus-Gus?" he snapped irritably, glaring at the mouse. It had been easy to find himself making friends with anything he came into contact with. So far, he had befriending a large garden spider that made it's home in the corner of his attic, a lone bat who huddled on the rafters for most of the day, but flew around madly during the night, and Gus-Gus—who was the friendliest of the animals he had met. Gus-Gus seemed to sense Barty's loneliness, and always returned to the attic - though, it was probably because Barty had beginning saving scraps of cheese from his sandwiches for the little mouse.

Barty tried to ignore the mouse by jumping into his bed and turning to face the wall, but the mouse scuttled over to him and nibbled on his ear. _Squeak, squeak!_ He urged desperately, right into the hollow of Barty's ear. Barty sat up and grasped his hands around the chubby rodent and stared into his tiny face. _Squeak, squeak!_ The mouse repeated, swivelling his head towards the circular window. Barty groaned and climbed out of bed, wandering over to the window and placing Gus-Gus back on the window ledge.

Gus-Gus circled manically around the windowsill, before batting his nose repeatedly against the glass. Barty was about to open the window and shove Gus-Gus out, when a little, ebony black face made him jump. A sleek, short-haired cat had jumped from the roof onto the outside window ledge, and was staring through the window with odd, dark eyes.

Gus-Gus jumped down from the ledge, squeaking for England, and bolted under the bed. The cat outside sniffed at the window and began purring, as though quietly asking for entry. Once Barty had made sure that Gus-Gus was out of sight from a potential predator, he unlatched the window. The cat slid in neatly, and jumped down onto the floor, landing neatly on the pads of his feet.

Barty knelt down and stroked the cats head gently, and it arched into his hand, purring loudly. As it weaved around Barty's legs, he smiled. "Are you going to stay here with me?" he looked into the cats deep, glittering eyes, which seemed oddly familiar. "I think I'll call you Lucifer."

The cat suddenly darted away from Barty, as though offended by his choice of name. It trotted over to the bed, jumping onto the mattress and burying itself under the covers. Barty was just heading over to try and reconcile with the cat, when he was surprised by a loud _pop!_ and the cat-sized lump in the blankets suddenly grew larger, more person sized.

A dark-haired head popped out from the top of the blankets, grinning. "Its...you?" Barty gasped, his eyes wide. The man who sat under the covers before him was none other than Regulus Black. "I thought you were dead! You're an Animagus?"

"You can't get rid of me that easily, Barty," chuckled Regulus. "Now lets get out of here."


	10. Sweets for the Sweet

**Word Count:** 291

 **Written For:  
** \- Speed Drabble: proper, toffee, "How hungry are you for a knuckle sandwich?"  
\- Gringotts Prompt Bank/My Mad Fat Diary: "I've got your back, babe.", "Stop staring at me. It freaks me out."  
\- Gringotts Prompt Bank/OC Names: Finley Dawson

* * *

 **Sweets for the Sweet**

 _My love has concrete feet, my love's an iron ball, wrapped around your ankles, over the waterfall._

Regulus woke up on Saturday morning to the sound of someone vigorously chewing and chomping in the bed next to him. He squinted in the light that was streaming through the windows; the lake made everything seem green and strange.

"Barty?" he muttered, peering over at the bed where his best friend slept, but the curtains were drawn. "What are you doing?"

"No'ffin," came the reply. Barty was obviously talking through a mouthful of something thick. Regulus climbed out of bed quietly and pulled open the curtain, startling Barty—who was sitting amidst a pile of gold and silver sweet wrappers, and his mouth was full. Regulus raised his eyebrow.

Barty glared at him and swallowed the mouthful. "What?" he snapped, reaching for another sweet - it was a box of toffees, which Regulus had seen placed one of the other Slytherin's beds just the night before. "Stop staring at me. It freaks me out."

"Those are Finley Dawson's toffees, aren't they?" Regulus inquired, smirking. Barty shrugged.

"I don't know. I was hungry."

"How hungry are you for a knuckle sandwich? Because that's what you're going to get when Dawson gets back here. I think his Ravenclaw girlfriend gave him those sweets."

Barty ignored him, and shoved another toffee into his mouth.

"He's going to proper do you in, Barty," Regulus went on, but Barty just flicked a wrapper at Regulus. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Barty replied after he had swallowed the toffee. "Get a beating, I suppose?"

Regulus grinned and sat down at the bottom of Barty's bed. "Don't worry. I've got your back, babe."


	11. Across the Sky

**Word Count:** 1,338

 **Written For:**

\- Fairytales Class: Write about how much it took your chosen pairing to finally get together. / Prompt: (word) Connection

\- Investment Building Challenge/Dialogue Property: "How do you accidentally forget something that important?"

\- Gringotts Prompt Bank/Hunchback of Notre Dame: [Plot/Action] Disobeying orders, [Plot/Action] Smelling someone's hair, [Word] Beautiful, [Word] Forbidden, [Item] Hidden staircase

* * *

 **Across the Sky**

 _Across the sky I will come for you, if you ask me to._

"Slytherin!" the Sorting Hat screeched about a second after the hat was placed on Barty Crouch Junior's sandy head. He grinned foolishly, and headed over to the Slytherin table, not really taking in the scowls that came from the older students.

When Barty took a seat, some of the students who were near him stood up and moved further up the table, causing him to frown. He was only eleven, he didn't know the full extent of what his father had done to the parents of many students who sat at that table.

Regulus stood up, feeling irritated at his new housemates. He had been sorted just a few moments before Barty, and he hadn't expected the Slytherins to be hostile. Perhaps his brother was lucky, having been sorted into Gryffindor. As he made to walk over and sit beside Barty, a hand grabbed his wrist.

He looked back at his older cousin, Narcissa. She shook her head slowly, and pulled him back down into his seat, before leaning to whisper breathily in his ear. "Aunt Walburga wouldn't want you making friends with a traitor."

oOo

They were in their third year, when Barty accidentally skipped his first ever class.

He was hurrying down a stairway from the library and the staircase suddenly started swivelling to the left. He gripped the rails, cursing inwardly, as the stairs swept through an overhanging tapestry, and he was instantly lapsed into darkness. He jumped off the staircase as soon as it stopped moving and grabbed his wand, but another orb of yellow wandlight shone in his face first. "Barty?"

Barty backed up, squinting in the dim light. Regulus was clutching the wand, staring back at Barty. "What are you doing down here? We have Transfiguration…" Barty held his wristwatch up to the light and groaned loudly. "Right now. McGonagall is going to be _so_ angry."

"I forgot my homework by accident," Regulus muttered, and Barty could hear his feet shuffling. "I was on my way back to the library to get it."

"How do you forget something that important?" Barty demanded to know. "Wait - why was your homework in the library this morning?"

Regulus grinned. "I was doing my homework before class."

Barty shook his head irritably, and started feeling around the walls. "Where are we?"

"The staircase turned into some kind of hidden staircase," Regulus muttered. "I guess we're lost."

"Regulus?"

"Yeah?"

Barty looked down at his feet, feeling his face glow. "You know, if you're ever struggling with your homework…" he paused. "I don't mind helping out."

"That won't be necessary!" a sudden voice pierced the air, and another bulb of light loomed towards them. The stubbly features of Rabastan Lestrange, an older Slytherin, glowed in the wandlight. "Time for class, Regulus."

"Haven't you got class?" Regulus grumbled, shoving his wand into his pocket.

"Free period," Rabastan shot back. "The joys of being in the sixth year. Come on, before you catch something from this little rat."

Regulus glared at Rabastan. "I don't need you to tell me who to be friends with."

"Actually, you do," Rabastan replied airily. "Bellatrix has asked me to keep an eye on you. To make sure you're not following in your big brother's footsteps," he shot another glare at Barty. "Though, if you keep hanging around with traitor scum, you won't be far behind."

oOo

They were in their fifth year when Barty plucked up the courage to ask Regulus to Hogsmeade. It was the first Valentine's Day visit of the year, and he was hopeful that they could finally get to spend some time alone together.

Trying to be friends at Hogwarts was impossible. Almost everyone in Slytherin seemed to be a cousin or a family friend of Regulus, and they were determined to keep him on the 'right path'. Regulus had explained that it was his mother's doing, because she was determined to make sure he didn't end up like Sirius, but Barty couldn't help but feel irritated that his only friend had so many people trying to keep them apart.

But they still had Hogsmeade, and Barty couldn't wait for the upcoming visit. Regulus had promised to meet him at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Rooma _horrible_ —little dwelling that Barty was sure no one else would dare set foot in.

A shocking pink teapot had just been placed down in front of him when Regulus walked through the door, ringing the bell as he did so. No-one looked up to see who it was; everyone who inhabited the tearoom was part of a couple, and they only had eyes for each other.

Regulus grinned in Barty's direction and sat down opposite him, pulling his scarf from around his neck. "Pour me some tea then," he muttered, placing his hands around one of the teacups. Barty smiled and obliged, holding the teapot out.

The bell suddenly rang once again, and Barty automatically looked up from the tea. A woman, who looked strangely familiar, was looming towards them. She had dark, menacing eyes, and honey-blonde hair, pulled back into a tight, uncomfortable-looking bun.

"Regulus," she said quietly, and Barty saw all the colour drain from Regulus' face. He turned around in his chair, staring up at the woman. "What have I told you?"

"Mother," Regulus spluttered. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking up on my son," she hissed, shooting a glare in Barty's direction. "You are spending time with the Crouch boy. I specifically told you that I don't want you near him. I have _forbidden_ it."

"Mother, please." Regulus whispered. The other couples in the tearoom were starting to glance up from their tea, intrigued by the scary woman who was causing a scene.

"Get up. You've disobeyed my orders for the last time. I'll drag you back up to the school myself, and I will be withdrawing my permission for you to visit this pathetic little village." She curled her lip as she sent a long glare around the tearoom, lingering for a little while on Barty. Regulus kept his eyes down, as his mother pulled him out of his seat and yanked him out of the tearoom by the arm.

oOo

They were just a few days away from graduating, when Regulus slipped between Barty's sheets in the dead of the night.

"What are you doing," muttered Barty, as warm breath grazed across the back of his neck. Regulus was nuzzling into the back of Barty's head, smelling his hair.

"No one cares anymore," Regulus replied quietly. "Everyone who gave a damn has left."

"Your mother has eyes everywhere."

"I don't care anymore."

Barty turned around in bed so that he was facing Regulus, and glared at him through the darkness. "You say that every time. But then, as soon as one of them catches us, you let them drag you off and you say _nothing_."

"I'm serious, now."

"It could never work," continued Barty. "Your parents hate me. Your friends and family hate me."

"Well, _I_ think you're beautiful," whispered Regulus. "Inside and out."

Barty swallowed a knot in his throat, wishing that Regulus wouldn't always say the right things. He did nothing as the other Slytherin bowed his head, pressing a lingering kiss to his lips.

"We have a connection, Barty. Everyone keeps trying to pull us apart, but we always fight to stay together. Don't you want to fight for me anymore?"

"Don't make me feel bad."

"We'll run away." Regulus went on, and Barty resisted the urge to sigh. Regulus was a big dreamer, with big ideas, big hopes. But he was always brought back down to earth by his parents. "We can be together."

Perhaps Barty was just being pessimistic. "Okay," he murmured, after a long silence. "We'll run away."

Regulus kissed him, hard. Even though Barty knew that he would probably change his mind again in a couple of days, he could pretend. For now, they were together.


	12. Late Night Cramming

****Word Count:**** 870

 **Written For:**

\- Gift Giving Extravaganza 2017: Written for Amber (Cheeky Slytherin Lass)

\- 2017 Drabbles: Insane

* * *

 **Late Night Cramming**

 _No man can keep me together, been broken since I was born._

Regulus frequently woke up in the middle of the night. He was often stirred by unusual dreams but also from the dim green light that streamed through the windows of the dungeon dormitories.

Every time he woke up in the middle of the night, he would be soothed instantly by the image opposite him. His best friend, Barty, slept in the four-poster bed beside his. Unlike Regulus, he wasn't a light sleeper, and he _always_ slept through the night. Whenever Regulus woke up, Barty would be flat on his back with his arms behind his head and the covers tangled around his skinny frame, snoring softly. The image of Barty sleeping soundly always soothed Regulus back to sleep.

So, it was only natural for Regulus to panic a little when he woke up one night and Barty wasn't there.

The dark green blankets had been made neatly, and Barty's pyjamas were folded on top of the covers. Just the way they normally were when the Slytherins went down to start their school day—but it wasn't a school day. It was the middle of the night.

Regulus sat up, glancing around the dormitory. The other boys in their year slept soundly; the lumps in their beds snored and sighed as proof. He pulled his dressing gown from the end of the bed and wrapped it around his body, shoving his wand into the pocket. There was no way he would be able to get back to sleep, not without knowing if Barty was okay.

As he crept out of the Slytherin Common Room, he racked his brain determinedly, trying to think where Barty could be. "Where would Barty be in the middle of the night?" he murmured to himself, as he hurried down a corridor. A portrait shushed at him rudely, but Regulus ignored it. "Where would I go if I was Barty…?"

Suddenly, the answer sprang to mind.

oOo

By the light of his wand, Barty thumbed through the heavy book at the top of his pile. He was sitting in a dark corner of the library, where he was sure that Filch wouldn't find him if he came snooping. The pages of _A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration_ blurred as he tried to read them, and he screwed up his eyes tiredly. "Come on," he grumbled, tapping the side of his head with the hilt of his wand. "Work, work, work."

"Barty?" came a familiar hiss from behind the bookshelves. He nearly jumped out of his skin and quickly extinguished his wand with a flick of his wrist. "I know you're in here. You left the door open."

It was Regulus. Barty rolled his eyes and climbed up from his spot on the floor. He wandered around to the centre of the library, and spotted Regulus standing by the doorway in the dark. "I'm over here," he muttered and gestured for Regulus to follow him back round to his corner.

Regulus's eyes widened as he saw the enormous pile of books that Barty had gathered. "Don't stare like that," Barty grumbled, flipping open the Transfiguration book to where he had lost his place. "They're only books."

Regulus sat on his knees next to Barty. "What on earth are you doing reading all these in the middle of the night? You look insane."

"Studying, what do you think I'm doing?" snapped Barty.

"It's three in the morning."

"Look, I don't have time to sleep right now."

Regulus pushed the Transfiguration book out of Barty's hands, and it landed on the floor with a loud, dusty thud. They sat in silence for a few minutes, waiting to see if any sound of Filch emerged.

"Don't be a dick." Barty glared at Regulus. Regulus noticed the huge purple bags under Barty's eyes, and he brushed his thumb over one gently. Barty pulled his face away, reaching for his book.

"Just leave it," Regulus grabbed Barty's hand. "You're killing yourself, Barty."

"I have to pass these exams. You don't understand. My father—"

"You are top of _every_ class you take," Regulus argued. "There's no way that you won't pass your exams."

"That's easy enough for you to say," Barty's voice was dry. "Your father isn't expecting you to get twelve Outstanding O. ." He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking. "I can't do this, Reg. I'm so stressed out." His voice was thick, and Regulus became aware that he was crying.

"You're never going to get an Outstanding if you haven't had enough sleep when your exams come around," Regulus murmured, staring down at the back of Barty's neck. "Trying to read all of these books in one night isn't going to help you absorb the information. You're just cramming it in, and it won't work."

"I know," Barty mumbled. "I'm a wreck, Regulus."

Regulus placed his hands on Barty's chin and pulled his face towards his. His sleepy brown eyes were swimming with tears. "You're the prettiest wreck I've ever seen," Regulus replied, stroking the tears away with his fingers. "Even if you do look like you haven't slept for days." He pulled Barty to his feet. "Now come on. Let's go back to bed."


	13. Just Sleep

**Written For:**

\- 2017 Drabbles: Bandage

\- Build-a-Fic Workshop: Barty/Regulus, "The only person you are destined to become is the person you choose to be." - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Daylight, Sofa, Fireplace

\- Jewel Day Event: Blue Topaz Ring - Write about your favourite couple

 **Word Count:** 528

* * *

 **Just Sleep**

 _But I can't fix him, can't make him better, and I can't do nothing about this strange weather._

It was well after midnight when Regulus finally walked in from work, and he already knew that Barty would be in a bad state. The mingled scent of alcohol and vomit permeated the air as soon as Regulus crossed the threshold, and he could hear the rustling sound of static playing on the television. He entered the living room with bated breath, as he often did when he knew that his boyfriend had relapsed.

Regulus sighed and dropped his bag when he spotted Barty. He was sprawled out on the sofa, fast asleep, with his arms above his head and his cheeks stained with tears. His eyes were puffy and his face was splotchy, and to Regulus's dismay, he noticed a loose, stained bandage wrapped around Barty's wrist. Empty liquor bottles littered the mantle above the fireplace, and the pool of vomit beside the sofa suggested that Barty had reached his limit.

Even though he was exhausted from work, Regulus switched off the television and scooped the glass bottles into a bin bag. Holding his breath, he used a sponge and a bowl of soapy water to clean up the carpet. Finally, he pulled a groaning Barty off the couch, and half-carried him into the bedroom.

Barty's eyes were open when Regulus laid him on the bed. "I'm sorry, babe," he murmured groggily, clutching at Regulus's hands. "I'm a mess again."

"It's okay," Regulus whispered. He peeled Barty's dirty clothes off him and tucked him under the sheets firmly. After Regulus had changed out of his work clothes, he sat on top of the covers and put an arm around Barty. "I just wish you would tell me when you're spiralling. If you called me, you know I would come out of work for you."

Barty sighed. "I just don't want to disturb you at work. You're the only one of us who has a job, and it's already hard for you to pay the rent on this apartment alone. I'm just a burden on you right now - I know that work is your only source of escape from all the drama at home."

Regulus frowned at Barty. "You're not a burden to me."

"I'm useless," Barty continued, his chestnut eyes beginning to swim with tears. "I can't provide for you or help you in any way. We can't have a proper relationship because I'm so haunted by the things I've done in the past." He paused to wipe the tears out of his eyes. "Aren't you scared of me, Regulus? Aren't you scared of who I might become?"

Regulus pressed his lips to Barty's hair. "The only person you are destined to become is the person you choose to be," he said quietly. "And it doesn't matter to me what you've done in the past. I still love you, on your good days and bad days."

"I don't deserve you."

"Well, you've got me." Regulus pulled back the sheets and climbed under the covers beside Barty. "Now, get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a better day."


	14. Kids in the Eye of the Storm

**Written For:**

\- 2017 Drabbles: Storm

\- Jewel Day Event: Agate Bracelet - Write about someone trying to deal with nightmares

\- Writing Club / Children's Book Day: "You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing." Charlotte's Web - E. B. White

 **Word Count:** 450

* * *

 **Kids in the Eye of the Storm**

 _You can't save me now, I'm in the grip of a hurricane, I'm gonna blow myself away._

Barty awoke to the sound of a storm lashing the windows, the rumble of thunder beyond the glass, and a soft whimpering coming from the man who lay beside him. He looked over at Regulus just as a flash of bright lightning illuminated the bedroom. His forehead was wet with night sweat; his cheeks were peaky and pale, and his dark hair was damp.

"Hey, wake up," Barty murmured, pressing a kiss to the shell of Regulus's ear as he spoke. "It's okay. You're having a nightmare."

Regulus's eyes fluttered open, and he stared wildly around the room with his steely gaze. When his eyes settled on Barty, his tense frame relaxed considerably. "Hey." His voice was breathy and wobbly.

"What were you dreaming about?" Barty rested his arm loosely over Regulus's waist and pushed his fingers up the hem of his pyjama shirt. "It seemed like you were suffering somewhere else."

Regulus sighed, and cupped Barty's cheek. "You changed your mind," he admitted softly. "You changed your mind about running away with me, and you chose the Dark Lord instead."

"I thought I told you to stop thinking about that. The Dark Lord is in our past, not our future."

"I know," Regulus sighed. "But I still worry that you're going to leave me, even after everything. Why would you want to stay with me?"

Barty grasped the small of Regulus's back and pulled him closer. "Why would I want to stay with you?" he pondered aloud. "Because you've always been there for me. You were the only one in Slytherin who didn't shun me when my father put so many Death Eaters in Azkaban. You didn't care that it made you an outcast as well. You were the only one who wanted to talk to me for something other than to copy my homework. You stopped my father from using the Imperius Curse on me anymore. You gave me the choice to choose between moving on with you or staying with the Dark Lord and leading an undeniably short life," he paused. "You were always my friend, Regulus. That in itself is a tremendous thing."

Regulus kissed Barty suddenly and messily, their lips and teeth crashing together as they kissed each other urgently. Regulus bit Barty's bottom lip and rolled over so that he was on top of Barty, and looked down at him, gasping for breath. "I love you, you know," he whispered.

"I love you, too," Barty replied softly. Regulus leaned down to kiss him again, and they melted into the storm.


End file.
